I'm not sure how to phrase this because I'm exhausted but I'll just go ahead. Does the message "you gain n hand-to-hand skill points" after defeating a monster mean that the total number of skill ups you got while fighting adds up to n amount? I was playing under the assumption that skill ups during the fight were given in addition to skill ups at the end. Am I the only person who didn't realize that? Also, if thats the case, wouldn't the best way to level a new class be to just spam regular attacks because they are the quickest and kills don't actually give you class skill ups?

I'm not sure how to phrase this because I'm exhausted but I'll just go ahead. Does the message "you gain n hand-to-hand skill points" after defeating a monster mean that the total number of skill ups you got while fighting adds up to n amount? I was playing under the assumption that skill ups during the fight were given in addition to skill ups at the end. Am I the only person who didn't realize that? Also, if thats the case, wouldn't the best way to level a new class be to just spam regular attacks because they are the quickest and kills don't actually give you class skill ups?

You get skillups during the fight and they add up to the total. YOu only get the total if you kill the mob. So you have skillups and then the award of the skillups. You don't get both.

A lot of players are using just regular attacks to skill up. I personally think that is fundamentally flawed. You almost always if not always get roughly twice the skill points off a weapon skill. Also, I've noticed that not using a weapon skill for a while will dry up the points and if I use one it will give points and then my regular attacks will resume giving points at a relatively reasonable rate. I've got no solid facts on this SP system. I don't think anyone does. As soon as I think I've got it figured a new variable pops up. I do know that abilities with effects will sometimes give more points. I've tested it enough to believe it

The general idea at the moment is to find as big a group as you can that is within 5 levels of each other and kill what you can kill. As long as you don't go outside the SP bonus rules SE has set you will get a bunch of points. As for solo.... Their attempts at keeping it viable are only frustrating. It is manageable but there are def some points you hit where mobs are inappropriate in all zones to solo off of efficiently.

I've also noticed that skill points off low level mobs are small.... skill points off higher level mobs are better. So killing weak may have a blance point where it becomes less viable.

I personally do my leves then help with some leves. Then, I take the remainder and grind in a good area around harder mobs until I can find a group. That seems to net me the least wasted ranking time and the best points.